Friends of Affirmative Action -- Scholars, colleges and higher ed associations file dozens of briefs with U.S. Supreme Court, hoping to preserve the right to consider race and ethnicity in admissions decisions.

Confounded by Contradictions -- Today's students are connected/isolated, internationally inclined/globally ignorant, and ambitious/dependent, posing challenges for colleges that enroll them, a new study finds.

Student Debt, Gender and Class -- Sociologists' research on different borrowing patterns of men and women, and of those from different wealth levels, illustrate ways that opportunity may be endangered.

ACT Scores Are Flat -- Changes have been negligible over the last five years and scores continue to show notable racial and ethnic gaps.

DREAMers Deferred -- The Obama administration's policy to allow work permits for some students whose parents came to the U.S. illegally may have little direct impact on higher education, but colleges are helping students pursue the new status.

FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATION

To Boycott or Not? -- Political scientists consider positions they are taking on gay rights by attending or staying away from their discipline's largest gathering. (Due to Hurricane Isaac, not the boycott, the meeting ended up being called off.)

Male Scientist Balancing Act -- New study finds some male researchers seek egalitarian role at home, but most (including some starting their careers) do not.

Admitting to Bias -- Survey finds healthy minorities of social psychologists admit that they would be more likely to reject a journal submission or a job candidate because of conservative politics.

'How to Be Gay' -- U. of Michigan professor caused major controversy with course called 'How to Be Gay.' A dozen years later, he has written a book on the same topic.

When Students Cross a Line -- A professor sent a mass e-mail to all of the students in his course when some of them argued that Christianity is a superior religion. Was he right to do so?

Tenure and Harrassment -- Eastern Michigan University suspended a professor for inappropriate conduct, and eventually denied him tenure as well. But why did it let him teach for several years after the suspension?

Why Men Should Take Women’s Studies -- Confessions of a Community College Dean blogger explains that women’s studies courses were some of the most useful courses he's ever taken, and that they might be incredibly useful for other men in management roles.

Everything Women Do Is Wrong, Continued -- If you're female but not a mother, you can't be a truly great writer. On the other hand, if you are a mother, you are by definition selfish and entitled for also wanting to be a human being sometimes. At least, that's the take-away Mama Ph.D. blogger Susan O'Doherty got from reading two recent articles

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